While I’m fully aware that there are a whole bunch of bloggers currently showing off their gorgeous Christmas decorations, buying guides and tips for the holidays, I feel like I’m really failing when it comes to the holiday season this year. The truth is that every year I start my planning months in advance, I scour the shops, find interesting bits and pieces to add to my collection and I have a total handle on everything come November. This year? Not so much.
I hate to use our impending move as an excuse but all the craziness of the last 8 weeks has meant I am just about scraping by when it comes to Christmas planning this year. I have decided – for the first year ever – not to do a Christmas tree. I know, that makes me sound like a scrooge but I thought a few decorations popped around the dining room and living room would really be enough and while I often purchase lots of new products to decorate with, I’ve put a spending ban on myself for the house until we move.
If you follow me on Instagram stories, then you’ll know it’s taken a while for that holiday feeling to set in. Normally, I adore Christmas and look forward to it far in advance but this year, I just feel like there is so much going on that I don’t really have the brain power to relax into the seasonal festivities. Of course, we’ll celebrate it and we have family coming around on Christmas Day as per usual but we’ll likely keep it a low-key affair which, honestly, suits me just fine!
So since we end up spending the bulk of our holiday entertaining in the dining room, I decided to concentrate the festive touches in this room. I didn’t go too crazy and tried to keep things as simple as possible – which, for a maximalist like myself is always going to be a challenge. I adore decorating the mantle in here and so that’s really the focus of the room. As you can see, there is a new piece of art gracing the wall. Of course, I still love Marie (and she’s hanging just to the right of the chimney breast so I can still enjoy her!) but I decided to try out an art-rental service from Why Not Art and this gorgeous piece from London artist Corinne Natel was the perfect way to get a different look in here just for the season.
I’ll talk more about the piece and Why Not Art in an upcoming post soon so hang tight for that. But the colours were so beautiful in the painting and I decided to pull that into my decorating scheme which is a simple palette of pink, white and gold with just a little touch of lilac. Okay, so not exactly the most festive colour palette but who says you need to stick to red and green, right?
The bar cart just got a very simple string of LED lights (which against the window, you can’t really see but at night it looks pretty!) and I added to my collection of limited edition Disarrono bottles (the latest, a collaboration with Missoni). I quite like them displayed all on one shelf! If you are wondering, only 2 of them are full but I can’t bear to throw the others away!
My sideboard has been decorated with a simple garland wrapped in fairy lights and my two rather regal deer and stag that I’ve had for a couple of years now (originally from Wayfair) as well as the little white tree tealight holder I’ve also had for years.
So, as you can see, it’s all very me but much less planned and more or less just thrown together with what I already had!
And so, that’s my Christmas dining room! I hope you like it despite this being a pretty low-key Christmas for us this year! What are you up to this Christmas? Are you hard-core decorating or are you taking it a bit easy this year like me?
It’s all so gorgeous Kimberly and that bar cart is simply amazing. I don’t even know what’s in half those bottles but I think I would buy them just because they look so stunning. But then you make everything look stunning.
Merry Christmas & Cheers
Marie :-)
It is al so CHIC girl! I love it!
Ahhh this is my kind of festive decor. Not minimal, nor maximal… it all looks really pretty! The art is absolutely gorgeous, it works so well with your room, especially with your festive colour palette. Loving your Disaronno bottle collection too!
Who said that red and green are the only colours for Christmas!? I love that colour palette! It looks perfect and very festive in fact! And that art is absolutely stunning! I will definitely check out your next post to find out all about it!
AN art rental service!?!? That sounds amazing and I love the art. You have just the right amount of Christmas touches in your dining room andI can totally understand why you don’t want to do more in the rest of your house since you are moving.
This is just perfect!! A few small changes make a huge difference in your Christmas decor. It’s really beautiful!
I think it looks lovely. I also think it’s nice to switch it up and some years go bigger than others so it doesn’t always feel same old, same old. Sounds like you’ve got the most important bit nailed spending time with loved ones π
Love the bottles by the way. I might have to get another one. I love the bottles and hubby loves the contents #winwin
Lovely Christmas touches, and makes sense to focus on the dining room – it’s where the magic happens after all! Small touches often make the biggest difference, and you can totally see that in your bar trolley!
It looks really good, even though you don’t think you’ve put a lot it’s still a lot more than some put up. xxx
This is just perfect!! A few small changes make a big difference in your Christmas decor. Itβs really Awesome!
It looks absolutely gorgoeus Kimberly!!! Sounds wonderful to choose a slow Christmas and not matter how many decorations and stylish touches, your home is ALWAYS stunning. Youβve outdone yourself this year but I know your 2018 will be even more successful. BIG hugs fra Denmarkπ
Looks really different compared to Night Jewels. I have a similar size room that needs decorating after a house purchase which faces west, but doesn’t get much of the light/sunlight from the west because of the kitchen extension. I was wondering which direction your dining room faced.
It’s south-west facing! It was just very dark with Night Jewels simply because it’s a very dark colour and absorbs the light! In the pale grey (Blackened by Farrow & Ball) the whole room is so much brighter. I don’t get a huge amount of direct light because of the kitchen but plenty of indirect light – hope that helps! x